


Rest Is A Secret

by breezybanner



Category: Everyman HYBRID
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Family Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, no beta readers we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 16:38:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breezybanner/pseuds/breezybanner
Summary: Alex is scared and needs comforting. Jeff is there for him, finally.





	Rest Is A Secret

**Author's Note:**

> FIC TITLE: from the song Rest by half•alive.  
\-- my first fic. ever. not joking. still figuring out my style, not a super active writer. not beta read.

Alex was curled up on his bed, knees tucked in close. His chest shook with every breath he took, fighting through his tears. He could barely think through the thick fog clouding his mind, could barely breathe through the lump in his throat. Every now and then a harsh sob would break through the silence, startling himself. His arm burned from the scratches and his stomach was churning.  
A soft knock on the door echoed too loudly and Alex shrunk back. Jeff's voice poured into the room, and the momentary saving grace of familiarity stung bitterly his eyes with the shame of his meltdown. The door was gently cracked open, but even the quietest noises were like a dagger in Alex's head. Jeff just stood there for a second, unsure of how to react. Another harsh sob came, and the big brother instinct in Jeff kicked into action. He carefully opened the door and slipped in, not fully closing it in case the click of the handle was too much.  
Socks on carpet was perfectly silent enough to not trigger an even bigger breakdown for the younger boy, so Jeff carefully stepped over to the bed in the center of the room. He sat down slower than he ever had before, careful of the creaky springs of the old matress. They sat there for a while, Jeff just a comforting presence as Alex took a moment to calm himself a little.  
Alex peeked open his eyes and tiredly drifted his hand to Jeff, who gently squeezed it in response. Al tugged gently on it, hoisting himself closer to his brother. Once he was upright, Jeff saw how upset he really was. The tear tracks were fresh on Alex's cheeks, the bags under his eyes dark and deep from days of sleeples nights. It wasnt long before his face scrunched up again and he buried his nose into the soft sweater Jeff was wearing. The sight was raw and hurt to see. Jeff felt like he had been ignoring his brother's issues, almost like he forgot about Alex altogether. He felt the guilt eating away at his heart, but the hollowness made it feel somehow heavier. He almost cried himself as Alex was racked with another whimper, but held steady. For his brother's sake.  
He wrapped up Alex in the soft blanket that had been previously kicked away and his own arms, bear hugging the boy as tight as he could muster. They sat like that for a while, as Alex's mind slowly winded down and his breathing slowed.  
Alex, curled up in his brother's arms, let his body run dry of it's tears. He took a deep breath in. And then out. And then in. And then out. He focused of the familiar smell of his family. The soft fleece of the sweater pressed against his face, and the blanket wrapping him tight. The pressure of his brother's arms holding him. The gentle, cool breeze caressing his arms from the fan across the room. It tickled him a little bit, but felt nice against the mildness of his room. He thought about how he felt covered and safe for what felt like the first time. He took another heavy breath, and....  
What felt like an eternity had passed, but now Jeff sat in a comfortable silence. Alex was limp in his arms, steadily asleep. He still waited for a while before moving anywhere. Jeff swung the legs dangling off the bed into his arms gingerly, and carried Alex off to his own room so he could watch over him. Tonight, they'd be together. No matter how fleeting this safety was, for now, they had each other's backs. They'd be ok.


End file.
